Why Pay-Per-Appointment Doesn’t Pay Off

Outsourcing your appointment setting tasks is often a smart choice. Statistics show that by shifting these responsibilities away from your employees and sales team you are likely to see an increase in sales and customer acquisitions. In the process you also are likely to save significant amounts of time and money.

Unfortunately, many businesses who choose to outsource appointment setting are under the mistaken impression that paying per appointment is the best way to structure payment for these services. It is easy to see why. After all, paying only for the appointments that are set up seems like a winning proposition.

While in theory this sounds like a good idea, in practice it almost never is. In fact, this decision may cost you more than just money. It can cost you a great deal of time, lower employee morale and damage your brand.

If an appointment setter is only judged by the number of appointments set, it is easy to see how he or she would begin to see the volume of appointments as the only true measure of success. However, if appointments are not vetted properly, salespeople inevitably will meet with prospects who are unlikely to ever buy what they are selling. This results in salespeople wasting time meeting with unqualified leads instead of truly viable prospects. Salespeople also will quickly become discouraged when they repeatedly show up for appointments only to find poorly qualified leads waiting for them-if those appointments show up at all.

When appointment setters are focused on setting appointments at all costs, you can be sure that they will begin to employ desperate tactics, as well. Such tactics will cast a business in an unflattering light, as will overly aggressive tactics. Over time, even if a prospect is interested in meeting with one of your salespeople, he or she is likely to decide against it because your brand has been cast in a negative light.

Paying per appointment can be tempting, especially when budgets are tight and competition fierce. It is at such times, however, when money is best spent on reputable appointment setting firms that focus on quality not quantity. Reputable appointment setting firms also will define the project at hand in light of a business’s long-term goals. This means that they will provide you with the greatest number of qualified leads which will result in increased sales, improved morale and a brand reputation that remains intact.